


Outtakes from Walking it Off

by aceofhearts88, SamanthaB



Series: STRIKE Team Alpha Series [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-05-24 16:05:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6159025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofhearts88/pseuds/aceofhearts88, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamanthaB/pseuds/SamanthaB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cut Scenes from "Walking it Off"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. She is a sniper

Natasha and Steve talk about Commander Viktora:

Natasha approached Steve silently, but still made sure he would be aware of her presence, the last thing she wanted now was to scare him, not here. Not in front of the wall of valor, where nowadays, she found too many familiar names looking back at herself, too many colleagues, too many people she had maybe not trusted completely, but still had called friendly.

Worse still was the feeling two stories down, where even more familiar faces stared at her from a wall with pictures on it. The most wanted wall, where the pain of betrayal was choking, especially for a former Strike team member like her.  
“I knew them, you know.”, Steve spoke up when she was close enough, voice quiet, where he was leaning back against the wall, she looked at him first, at the careful way he tried to keep his face blank, and then followed the line of his eyes. Right to the names of the three agents she had called friends, the three agents beside Clint and Coulson whom she had trusted with her life.

“At least, Seaway and St.Oaks, I knew them.”, Steve continued, “Upon my first official day at Shield, I was introduced to the Strike Teams properly, after the New York crisis. Seaway and St.Oaks, team alpha, their leader wasn’t there, she…”  
“Injured. They were undercover in Rota during the New York Crisis. Agent Viktora came back with a very bad concussion and a cracked rib.”, Natasha recited from memory, she could still very clearly remember Sarah’s face when Clint had told her about what had happened in medical. The girls had known about Coulson’s death before coming back, but had still stepped into the unknown upon getting back onto the helicarrier.

“The girls stuck out for me, I’m not sure why. Maybe because they were the only women team among the Strike teams, and sometimes it’s still hard to shake old habits. It wasn’t the norm to see women fighting along men like soldiers, let alone in special task forces, least of all making up a high level force team on their own…in my time. Peggy was an exception. And sometimes my mind still snaps back to how it was, and not to how it changed.”

“They were the best, better than the other teams. Maybe not better than Delta.”, Steve snorted and Natasha gave herself one small smile, “But they were good.”  
“I know. I know that, and I know that a part of me was so relieved when I didn’t see them in the elevator back when everything fell apart. Seaway and St.Oaks, I saw them a couple of times, in the trainings hall, in the kitchen, in the dining hall. Seaway helped me figure out the espresso machine, St.Oak complimented my drawings, brought me supplies and joined me on many occasions.”

“She was an art student, and then an art thief. Ever counted your drawings?”  
“Natasha…”  
“I get it, Steve, it feels personal for you. But I am not the one you have to tell this, I can see that you want to save them, that you don’t agree with how Maria handled the situation.”  
“Clint doesn’t.”

“He is angry, frustrated, scared and in pain. He is hurting. He sees all these girls as his, well daughters by now. This is way more personal for him than it is for us. You knew them as fellow agents, who were polite and friendly and nice to you, for Clint…for me, they are family.”  
They fell into silence, Steve still watching the names on the wall, while Natasha looked down at the people walking along the lobby, agents smiling and laughing, others on the phone.  
“You know I always wondered why Viktora kept away. I know more about Rumlow than about her, I’ve talked more with everyone else about her, but I never got to meet her. Seaway and St.Oaks, they talked a mile an hour, and I can’t pretend I wasn’t curious, team leader at her age, it was impressive.”

“She was secretive. Shy and careful, she might know more about your habits than you think. She certainly knows more about you than you can imagine now.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“She was a Howling Commandos fan. Probably the reason she staid away and observed from afar, most likely from the vents, Clint and her had a thing for them. Freaked Julie out.”

“But…I don’t understand , if she was a fan, why did she stay away…Coulson never shut up and there were so many other agents who asked questions, I didn’t mind answering or talking about that time.”  
“Steve, Sarah wasn’t Clint’s student for nothing. Agent Viktora’s alias is Red Scope, she was a sniper. The damn best sniper Shield ever had.”, she let the words sink in for a moment, waited until Steve added two and two together, she knew he would get it, and soon enough he gasped and turned around to look at her.

“A sniper. She was a fan of Bucky.”, Natasha nodded with a grim look, “Oh god, she was a fan of Bucky.”  
“Admired him, read all about him. Her rifle was a similar one to the one he had, only more modern. He was her idol, but she never would have approached you, never would have asked questions. She knew how it felt to lose someone close to you, but she also knew that her curiosity would have gotten the better of her. She spared you and her the pain.”

“Odessa, seeing him, it must have been a shock for her.”

“I don’t think any of us can imagine how it feels to suddenly find out that the man who you admired was not only still alive but sent to kill you. If the information we have are correct, and he killed Julie and Tess on sight…I cannot imagine how it must have been for her to watch.”  
“You don’t think they are dead, do you?”  
“No, I don’t. Natasha knows there is a chance they might still be alive, the Widow and especially Natalia, they want them to be dead, because they know what Hydra is capable of, what people like them can do to their prisoners.”


	2. Having a Moment

Clint finds Bucky down in the armory one night, Bucky tells the truth about Viktora's rifle:

„Steve might frown over this.“

„Steve can take his opinion and stick it elsewhere, it’s not like this would be the first time he finds me in the armory in the middle of the night.”, Bucky spoke up in response to Clint’s quiet greeting statement but didn’t look up from the black rifle in his hands. Clint hummed in acknowledgement of those words and then dropped the blanket he had had wrapped around his shoulders on the way down to the ground and sat down on it, cross-legged, just like the man leaning back against the wall across from him.

“I can imagine Steve’s common sense might have changed a little bit concerning you.”, Clint said and blue eyes looked up just long enough that Clint could see that it was all Bucky in that slightly on edge body, fingers still scrubbing carefully at the blood stains on the rifle handle.  
“Put away the kid gloves, Clint, please.”, Bucky pleaded in the next moment and Clint huffed, uncrossed his legs and pulled his knees up to his chest.

“You okay?”, he asked and the brunet snorted, flipped long hair out of his face and send a clear eyed look to Clint that showed just a hint of annoyance over that question.  
“I’m fine. I just can’t sleep and needed something to keep my fingers busy. You of all people should be able to sympathize. Why are you up?”, Bucky deflected immediately and Clint scowled at him until Bucky huffed and put the rifle down in his lap, setting the small brush down as well, “It’s not nightmares if that is what you’re thinking. It’s just…bees in my veins? Kinda hard to explain, I just can’t calm down right now.”

Clint accepted that without a moment of hesitation, crossing his arms over his knees and setting his chin down on top of them to continue watching Bucky as the other man turned the rifle over and started again.

“So, why are you up?”

Clint waited for a long moment until he answered Bucky’s question, turning his eyes towards the closet that held his bows and trick arrows, towards the note from Tony telling him to come down to the workshop tomorrow afternoon for something new. 

“Gonna be the one to pick the nightmare card then.”, he confessed after the silence had become a little too much, he felt Bucky’s eyes on him but didn’t turn his face away from the closet doors.  
“About her?”, came the gentle demand and Clint closed his eyes, tried to will the memories of that dream away, but his mind decided to torture him again anyway. And he was back in that cabin in Moscow, but this time there was no bloody rifle on that table, instead he saw his daughter lying there. Green eyes open, forever unseeing, the blood dried on her chest, wiped across her white shirt in a big X, in a mockery of Crossbones’ signature.

A gentle touch on the side of his face brought Clint back out of it again, and he blinked a few times until he could focus on Bucky kneeling in front of him, right hand curling around Clint’s jaw on the left side of his face, the other one cupping the back of his head.  
“Hey, you with me again?”, he asked softly and Clint nodded, breathing out a deep sigh, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t save her, Clint.”

“Don’t. Don’t, Bucky, okay? You saved her, because of you I still have a chance to get her back, to bring my daughter home. You were sent to kill her, but you didn’t, and in that moment you saved her.”, Clint explained quietly, Bucky didn’t move away from his position at all, just slightly inclined his head to the right and smiled.

“It’s because of the rifle.”, he whispered and Clint went tense under his hands again so Bucky curled his metal fingers through short dark blond hair and tugged a little.  
“What?”, Clint rasped out and looked at the other man with confused eyes, so that Bucky pulled back his hands, scratching at the back of his own hands for a moment before deciding to settle on a very small smile.

He grabbed the rifle and shifted forward until his knees were pressing against Clint's shins, setting the rifle down on the smaller man's knees.   
“It was mine. Weapons, guns and knives, that was the only thing the Soldier...that I was allowed to call my own. This was my rifle, and I actually am surprised that you didn't recognize it.”, Bucky explained, voice turning soft as he reached for Clint's right hand and curled it around the handle of the rifle, “Considering it was you I wrecked this baby for.”

Clint gasped, pulled the rifle to his chest and scrambled up on his knees, “Beijing.”, he whispered, free hand moving to be placed in the middle of Bucky's chest, feeling a heart beat strongly, just like it had back then, over twenty years ago. Only now there was no combat gear, only a soft red Henley shirt, no blood pouring from a gunshot wound and no frenzied panic on the Soldier's face, instead Bucky was smiling.

“I saw the gun in her hands, saw it again for the very first time again since that day twenty years ago. It already set me off, triggered something, that's why she was able to get away in Odessa. And in Moscow, I was...curious. When I tracked her down, she was already quite under the drugs my bullet had been laced with, but she still fought. Fought like the Commander, but her eyes looked like yours. The same stubborn recklessness and lethal focus. I couldn't understand, she got the shot and I made my call.”

“Did you get punished?”, Clint had no idea why he needed to ask the question now of all times, in the far back of the armory, in the middle of the night where both of them should be sleeping, with his hand clenching the front of Bucky's shirt. Bucky let the smile slip off his face.  
“Yes, but I don't want to talk about that right now. We've already got enough nightmare material for a lifetime or two. Tell me how she got the rifle, that should be a good story. I thought it too broken to be fixed, thought they had gotten rid of it.”

“She got the rifle from Jack Rollins on the day of her Strike evaluation. All I know is that he wanted a challenge for her, gave her the rifle, told her that if she fixed it, she can keep it, and she did. It's been hers ever since.”, Clint recited from memory, eyes falling shut for a moment.  
“We'll find them.”, Bucky read the direction of his thoughts correctly and Clint let his eyes flutter open again, “Rumlow will get too cocky, Rollins will slip up, Aljenka will talk, something will happen that will lead us to the girls.”, a quiet spoken promise, going even more under Clint's skin when Bucky leaned closer again.

Metal fingers curling around the back of Clint's head again as their foreheads got gently knocked together, “We'll fine them, Clint.”

“He's right.”

Bucky and Clint wrenched away from each other and jumped to their feet with a knife drawn each within the blink of an eye after Steve had spoken. Both of them glaring when they found the blond sheepishly smirking at them for having quite too obviously interrupted something that had come close to a moment.


	3. No Problem

Steve, Tony and Bruce talk about Clint and Bucky:

“Listen, Tony, I don't have a problem with the idea of them.” Bruce looked up from the results displayed on the tablet as the door of the workshop swished open again and Steve's voice got carried inside just a second before his steps followed Tony's inside.  
“Well, what's your problem then, because you obviously have one.”, the dark haired man send a blinding smile towards Bruce as he swung himself around the table to get back to the mess of arrowheads.

“I don't have a problem.”, Steve argued back at him and send his own smile to Bruce on his way to slouch down on the couch, a brand new sketchbook in his hands. Bruce watched him settle down against the pillows before frowning and patting around the sides, Tony saw it and reached down into a half open drawer to his right, pulled out a pencil and threw it over, all without really taking his attention off of the arrowheads.

“Oh of course, no problem. So what exactly are you calling the constant glares and warnings to keep my mouth shut about their obvious gazes, gestures and freaking chemistry, Steve. They are just begging for it.”, Tony whined and complained, looking at Steve with a little pouting smile that had the blond point the pencil at him.  
“I call it protecting them.”, Steve cut right back, but Bruce couldn't find a single ounce of ill meant feelings in it, Steve was teasing back just as much as he was receiving from Tony. Bruce dropped the tablet for good and leaned against the table, settling in to watch, having suspicions already what they were talking about.

“From me?”, Tony reeled back in response, all widened eyes and gaping mouth, but Steve rolled his eyes and set the sketchbook to the side.  
“Oh, don't be stupid.”, he spoke up, “Clint and Bucky are both big boys, they can handle your comments, they love them actually, quite sure of that. But not everyone might understand, and you know how fast words travel in this goddamn base.”

Clint and Bucky. 100 points for Doctor Banner and his correct guess.

“Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier, long lost souls finally reunited after over twenty years of chasing each other through sultry sunsets. Love story of the century, almost better than Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, best friends since childhood reunited after seventy years.”, Tony chuckled and then ducked behind Dummy when Steve made a move threatening to throw the pencil at him.

“I see Steve's concerns.”, Bruce chose the moment to get involved, both men turned their heads to look at him, “Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier, the formerly brainwashed super assassins with enough red in their combined ledgers to color the world in blood. People don't look at love stories anymore, they look at that and get worried. And Clint's married, with kids, not everyone sees the world like you do, Tony.”

“They should.”, was Tony's quick comment, “It makes things easier. But I get it, I'll tone it down.”  
“Only where people might overhear.”, Steve compromised and Tony grinned at him, “Because when it's just us, I really don't give a damn, make their ears bleed, jerks deserve it. And they certainly fucking deserve each other.”

“So you are really okay with it?”, Bruce questioned and Steve snorted.  
“You kidding? All I want for Bucky is to be safe, to be free and to be happy with himself and the life he has. The way he smiles at Clint? Never thought I would see that expression on his face again. And we don't have to talk about Clint.”, Steve snickered in the end, “Let them dance around each other and closer every time, if it makes them happy, I'm happy too.”


	4. Them Bloody Missions' Aftermaths

Maria waited until everyone was in the meeting room, she was getting impatient already as she had to wait for everyone to get their coffee and food and whatnot, seriously working with the avengers was harder than running a kindergarten. She took a deep breath to start speaking but before she could do so Pietro cleared his throat with a cough. Maria sighed but ignored getting ready to speak, she barely had time to say a word though as Pietro spoke up. “Sammy is still missing.” He said.

“I know, thank you for stating an obvious fact.” Maria said. “But as I was about to say…”

“Where is she? We can’t continue without her.” That was Steve.

Maria sighed again, a bit more exasperation in the act. “She’s on a mission so we do have to continue without her.” Maria said and tried once more to make everyone look at the screen but it was a lost cause.

“What do you mean she’s on a mission?” Tony asked. “We are the Avengers. We do the missions here. Come on, I am dying for some action!”

“She’s still a field agent so… she’s on a mission.” Maria said as if it was obvious. “You aren’t the only field agents we have.”

“But she hasn’t been on the field in ages… It should have been one of us going instead.” Natasha pointed out, frowning a bit.

“Sammy is one of our top agents. She has been sent on a mission and you have things to do yourselves so unless you want to weep over the fact you have no action today we must continue.”

Those words from Maria Hill were everything needed to put an end to the conversation. Only some looks were exchanged between some people, for the team Sammy was just Maria’s assistant, people often forgot that Sammy had become a field agent younger than any other person in the room and probably in S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. So, when they heard about the mission the feeling that reigned in the room was surprise. Especially because the still young agent had never expressed any interest in coming back to the field.

Through the meeting people put the subject aside, only Pietro looked a bit fidgety. He was worried, Sammy was in a mission and he had no way of knowing if it was a dangerous one or not and if it was he had no way to protect her. He was in headquarters and for all he knew she could be all the way across the globe.

And so as the week slowly passed, people grew bored in headquarters and with that boredom curiosity grew as well. Sammy was still not back from her mission which opened a whole new door for entertainment. Finding out what was the mission the missing agent was in became a priority between people in the headquarters and whoever found first where she was; won. What would they win? Pretty much the right to rub on everyone else’s faces that they were the winners.

Analysts tried to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s deeper information levels, field agents tried their persuasion techniques it even got to the point that little Clara was sent to Maria, wide curious eyes and a whole lot of adorableness to try to get some information but all that that little girl got back was a “Sorry, Clara… You can tell your mother that it’s level nine information.”

 Maria always gave the exact same answer “That’s level nine information”. That was until Pietro followed her through halls and halls. “Just tell me if you know something from her already? Is she okay?” Then Maria sighed and turned to him. “You’re making this a bigger deal than it is, she is fine and she will return in a couple of days.” She said rather harshly.

The boy sighed and nodded. “Alright.”

It wasn’t just a couple of days though, but Pietro knew better than to ask again. And no one really was able to win and get the information from Maria, she just kept her poker face the whole time. That was the time people also realised that you should never play poker with Maria Hill. At least if you valued your money in the least.

When Sammy did return she didn’t tell anyone anyway. Maria filled her in with all the latest gossip so she was just not in the mood to face everyone. She didn’t want to tell, it wasn’t exactly a secret but it was enough of a secret so everyone knew by the next dawn. Because that’s how secrets work in S.H.I.E.L.D. .

The first person to look for her was Clint as he was also the first person to wake up and therefore the first person to hear the gossips around. Apparently Sammy was in bad shape.

He ended up finding the girl working on some equations on one of the lower floors. Saying she was in bad shape was no lie. She had a bruised cheek, her bottom lip was slip open, some stitches holding together her open eyebrow, bruised knuckles and who knew what more under her uniform.

“What happened to you?!” Clint demanded, for all they had known she hadn’t even been in a dangerous mission! It wasn’t uncommon for an agent to come back hurt from a mission but usually those missions were the dangerous ones, and they wouldn’t even send an agent that had been inactive on a dangerous mission right? They shouldn’t at least. But they had done it.

And then for a slip of second Clint thought Sammy had also lost her mind – or maybe he was deafer than he thought – as the answer slowly rolled out of her lips. “I fell off a unicorn… Apparently those exist, you know? Gods, Aliens and now unicorns. The world is becoming a dangerous place, Barton. And sooner rather than later it will be covered in glitter and rainbows.” Sammy looked completely serious when she said this, but she was obviously not serious so Clint tried to make her say something about what had happened but as she kept giving him the same kind of rubbish answers he gave up.

That was how the stupid excuses started. Every time someone tried to make Sammy talk she had a different one and neither made sense.

When Natasha asked her she replied. “A piano fell on me… Like in a Charlie Chaplin movie.”

When Bruce asked Sammy had already thought of a different one. “I ran into Thor.” Or even when Tony asked. “It was all too fast, I just know there was a minion involved.” Or Thor. “I grabbed the Mjolnir and it fell on my face.” The God looked at her with widened eyes but then she forced out a laugh to make him see she was joking and the conversation stopped there. Or even Wanda. “I had to fight an old lady. I had a spoon she had a handbag full of hard diabetic candy.” Or Vision. “If you think this is bad, you should see how the lamp post was after. Straight to the hospital it went.” But the irony was still something Vision still didn’t quite understand. Or even Strike Team Alpha. “Stripper poker went wrong.”

It was when the Captain heard that last one that he finally decided to go ask himself. “Oh they weren’t joking.” He said as he saw the young agent who promptly glared at him.

“What?” She said after a second. “Do I have something on my face?” She asked dryly.

“What happened to you? You look awful.” Steve said.

“Wow Steve, don’t be so nice I might want to come back to you.” Sammy rolled her eyes.

Steve didn’t seem to find it funny though. “What happened?” He asked.

“Doesn’t matter. It was during the mission so… Not like you can go kick people’s butts for this.” She shrugged turning back to her things.

“But I still want to know.” Steve pressed on it.

“Go ask Maria. It’s not up to me to tell, I was following orders and it would be actually pretty nice if people could understand that and leave me alone for five freaking minutes.” Sammy said all at once, in just one breath. She then breathed in deeply. “You more than anyone else should know how I hate to speak about stuff. Just… Can I have my space? Can you tell people to… Back off?” She asked.

“No. Because we are worried! You disappeared overnight without a word and you come back like that!” Steve shot back.

“Well, Captain, that’s the life of an agent.” Sammy said getting up and packing her things. She wouldn’t get anything done here with Steve all over her. “You all get to leave HQ and have your fun, this time it was my turn, I don’t see the big deal. Have a nice day.” She said before turning her back.

“We aren’t done here-”

“I said _have a nice day!”_ She said over his voice putting an end to their conversation.

She hadn’t even done her second turn when she almost collided with none other than Pietro Maximoff. “For heaven’s sake, Pietro! I’ve told you to be careful, not all of us have super speed and we actually get jump scares when we almost run against someone!” She snapped.

“Did Tony tell Jarvis to wake you up early again?” Pietro asked, a playful grin on his face, as a reply to what she had said, simply earning a glare from her. One of those that would make anyone shrink on their place but Pietro was too worried with her injuries anyway. “Are you okay?” He asked, now much more seriously.

“I’m dandy!” She lied.

“Let me help, please.” Pietro asked and at the brand new glare he got he added a: “No questions asked. Keep it all to yourself, but let me help.”

Those words seemed to take pounds and pounds off her shoulders. Pietro understood. He didn’t press on the wounds and didn’t try to get information out of her and it felt refreshing and it made her stomach flutter as if she didn’t like him enough already. “Alright” She answered.

“Great. Because you look terrible.” He said, grinning again. “We need to do something about _that_.” He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to guide her wherever, at this point Sammy didn’t care, she just tiredly let herself lean against him.

“Pietro… You have exactly three seconds to take it back or I will take all your Nike sneakers and burn them.” Sammy threatened. A weak threat. Pietro would easily get to his sneakers way before.

“Fine… You still look gorgeous.” Pietro said and kissed the top of her head.

Sammy smiled softly, her gaze dropping a bit as she blushed lightly.

Pietro guided her to his apartment in the tower and let her take a shower and lend her some clothes for her to dress after. Sammy took her time in the bathroom, not wanting to stretch too much or putting too much strength on a single limb as it would most likely hurt.

“Your hoodie is a bit big for me,” Sammy said as she met him on the living room. Pietro looked up at her and laughed. “Don’t make fun of me!” Sammy pouted.

“I’m not! You look… adorable” Pietro said, he was in pyjamas himself and Sammy was using one of his pyjamas’ pants with one of his hoodies. The pants were way too long, she had fold them but they still looked too long, the hoodie only stopped a few inches over her knees and the sleeves covered her hands completely. She had her hair pulled up in a ponytail and the whole image of her, bruises included, made Pietro notice how young Sammy actually looked. “Come here. I got us a good selection of movies to watch.” It was also most likely the first time he saw her without make-up. She looked gorgeous anyway.

Sammy went to sit beside him and took the DVDs in her hands. “I gave you all of these.” She said, frowning.

“Yes, and you gave me a ten minute speech why every child in the world should watch them and that I was still not too late because I am obviously a child at heart.” Pietro grinned, proud of himself as she looked at him a bit surprised.

“I never thought you’d care anyway” She mumbled and held one of them tighter in her hand. “This one. One of the characters reminds me of my mother.” She said handing back _The Three Caballeros_ back to him so he would pop it in the player. “Also is a fun movie.” She smiled.

“Alright. Let me go get the oven pizzas first.” He said and not even a second after two plates full of pizza slices were on the coffee table, steamy and smelling amazing.

“I feel spoiled.” Sammy grinned reaching for a slice and biting on it. Olives, ham and mushrooms, the best combination on earth. Sammy watched Pietro as he set the movie, wondering if the pizza had been a wild guess or if he remembered it was what she liked.

“That’s the idea.” Pietro replied as he sat beside her reaching for a slice himself.

Sammy smiled and leaned to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” She muttered. Even from the weird angle Sammy was able to see Pietro smile.

The speedster turned his head to look at her, they were very close but neither of them seemed to mind the least. “I will always be here for you.”

Sammy looked away, shyly after what he said sank in and just cuddled against his side. They soon made themselves comfortable as they watched the kid’s movie and ate pizza.

Overall it was a quite nice night, Sammy ended up sleeping cuddled against Pietro on the couch after their third or fourth movie. She didn’t even remember what had been the last night she had slept so nicely, even if it was on the couch (which, let’s be real, was probably more expensive than her entire lipstick collection so that was saying a lot).

The way Sammy felt while cuddling Pietro that night… She couldn’t describe it. It was like when one returns home after a long day and curls under the covers and ignores the life outside. Comforting, warm and homely.

If there was any doubts before there were none now. Samantha Radcliff was in love with Pietro Maximoff.


	5. That One Time The Captain Was Nervous

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Steve asked nervously, clutching the wheel.

Sammy looked at him where she was leaning back against the car’s seat, feet resting up on the dashboard. “Are you nervous?” she asked amused.

“Why would I be? We’re just on our way to your childhood home so I can meet the people who raised you in which one used to be – you know not a big deal or anything – the most feared man in S.H.I.E.L.D., in fact probably in Hydra too, and also your sister who’s super judgemental, I mean she doesn’t like puppies, who doesn’t like puppies!” Steve blurted out.

Sammy chuckled. “Oh my… You are nervous.” She sat up, putting her feet down and resting one hand on his thigh. “First, my sister doesn’t dislike puppies, she’s afraid of dogs. Second, my grandfather is not the most feared person anywhere, he’s actually pretty sweet. Third the only thing you have to be scared of is whether my granny’s cooking will give you a heart attack or not. And finally… They’ll love you Steve.” She added the last part softly.

“But how do you know? How do you know for sure?” Steve asked still nervous.

“You’re not exactly just a random guy I met, Steve, you make me happy. And you’re a good person, everyone knows that. So yes, they’ll like you because you’re good for me and you make me happy.”

“Fine…” He sighed and seemed to relax a bit.

The drive wasn’t much longer but still Sammy wished they had accepted Tony’s offer to take one of his private planes. She missed her sister, the last time she had seen her Sammy was dropping her off at The Academy.

“Turn left on the next dirt road.” Sammy said as she started recognising every half a mile.

“What’s up with people in S.H.I.E.L.D. living in the middle of nowhere?” Steve huffed as he turned and the road was bumpy and unpleasant to drive on.

“Do you really need me to answer?” Sammy asked with an eyebrow raised. “Besides you’ll like this place. You know it.”

“I do?” Steve frowned.

Sammy just hummed in response but soon enough he understood what she meant, once there were no more trees Steve saw himself in a huge open space there was a big house that didn’t use to be there but the rest was the same with no alteration. Steve remembered every single detail.

“After the war it fell into abandon but then when Peggy founded S.H.I.E.L.D. she restored this to train new S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.” Sammy said. “My grandfather took over for a few years, agents would leave The Academy and come here but now it’s just us. This was where you started as a soldier wasn’t it?” She asked with a small smile.

“Yes. When I was just a boy from Brooklyn wanting to kick some Nazi butt.” Steve said still a bit stunned. “I was so skinny and short back then… With so many health problems. Little did I know I had only been picked to be… What I am today.” He muttered. “This was where I met Peggy. And where Dr Erskine made me the offer to be Captain America. Of course he didn’t call it that back then…” Steve said. “You see that flag post over there? Once, we were running and I was falling behind but the Sargent said that if someone could climb up the post and get the flag we could ride the rest of the way in a car…”

“And did you manage?” Sammy asked with a fond smile as she watched him.

“Of course not. But the post has some screws on the base. I took those off and when it fell I got the flag and got in the car.” Steve smiled.

Sammy chuckled. “Brains over matter, I like that.”

“And you see that tent over there? We used to form in front of it and I think they decided I was good enough to be Captain America when the Sargent threw a fake grenade towards us and while everyone went for cover I jumped right on it. I was expendable and I thought it was real… I rather die than see everyone around me die.”

Sammy’s smile fell a bit and she leaned to kiss him softly. “You are brave and good… Let us go now, we don’t want to make people wait.”

Steve glanced at her and smiled before nodding. “Let’s do it.”

Sammy smiled wider and got out of the car. “Sister!” She heard and next thing she knew Sammy was being tackled to the ground by her sister. She laughed happily and hugged her tight.

“Good to see you too, nerd.”

“You’re the nerd, shut up.”

“Yeah, yeah… Get off me, you’re not exactly light.” Sammy chuckled.

Rita huffed and got up, she was a pretty girl with dark hair falling down her back and brown eyes like Sammy just a couple of shades lighter. “And you must be Steve Rogers. It’s a pleasure.” Rita said offering a hand to Steve. “I heard a lot of things about you.” She smiled.

“I hope all good?” Steve asked glancing at Sammy who was getting up.

“Don’t look at her, I only heard she had a boyfriend through grandpa…” She said and turned to Sammy. “For speaking of him, everyone’s hungry and waiting for you two for lunch, also he’s not so happy you only told him Mr Perfect was Steve last week.” She said to a huffing Sammy and then turned back to Steve. “They talk a lot about you in The Academy. How you were the First Avenger and all that.” She smiled.

“Oh, I see.” Steve said, getting nervous again at the mention of an upset grandfather.

“Let’s go inside then. We’re starving as well. Did granny do-“

“Yes, she did all our favourites. Of course.” Rita grinned.

Steve let Rita start walking before he turned to Sammy. “Mr Perfect?”

“For your own safety I thought it was best to not tell him who you were before I was sure we were serious.” Sammy said as they also started walking behind Rita.

“You decided that last week?” Steve asked.

“Not really, but… It was the wisest decision.” Sammy shrugged.

“So, don’t worry, uh?” Steve asked a bit exasperated.

“It’ll be fine.” Sammy rubbed his arm.

They walked the rest of the way together and into the big house. Before Sammy could introduce Steve she was being pulled into tight hugs both from her grandmother and her grandfather.

“So, family, this is Steve. My boyfriend.” She said once her grandmother let go. “Steve, this is my grandfather and my grandmother.

“That’s Director Radcliff for you, son.” Sammy’s grandfather said, squeezing Steve’s hand tight.

“Oh, honey…” Sammy’s grandmother stepped in and made her grandfather move back so she could give Steve a hug. “You can call me Teresa.” She said with a sweet smile.

Steve nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“No ma’am. Just Teresa.” He said slapping his cheek gently before leading the way to the dining hall. “The food is ready.”

“Good, I’m starving!” Sammy grinned.

Everyone followed Teresa but as Steve was about to the old Director stopped him. “Let me get something clear, _Captain_. I might not be on the active right now, but I still have the contacts. You hurt my little girl and I don’t care you’re America’s favourite Captain. Are we clear?”

Steve swallowed and nodded. “Yes, sir.” He said and then breathed in. “But in all honestly, I wouldn’t dream of hurting her. That’s the last think I want to do. I do love her.” Steve said.

The Director glared at him for a few seconds before he broke into a genuine smile. “Welcome to the family, Steve. Come, Teresa cooks like no one else.”


	6. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday Sammy

Family.

\--

Family is not to whom we were born, it's not where we come from. Family is where we want to be, family is home.

\--

Part I: My Auntie

When Sammy had been young, she had an Auntie, she had already been there when Sammy had been really really small. Her Auntie had been a really pretty girl with super long brown hair that was always so soft. Her Auntie had lived with her Poppa and her Granny, but as she would later learn, she had not been their biological daughter, but no one had ever bothered with that.

Her Auntie was the best auntie in the entire world. No one could braid her hair better, no one could dress her prettier, no one was more beautiful than her Auntie. When she was taller, Sammy wanted to be just like her Auntie.

Her Auntie had been Poppa's little girl, her Granny's pretty angel and her Daddy had called her sister. Sammy got a little sister, too, when she was five, but her Auntie was always much more fun to play with. 

When Sammy was six, her Daddy and Mommy did not come home from work anymore, and Poppa sat her down and explained to her that Rita and her would live with them now, because Daddy and Mommy had been hurt too much and they would never come back again, they were in heaven now. 

Sammy had cried that night, snuggled up in her Auntie's arm and her favorite blanket. She had sniffled into her Auntie's shirt but her Auntie hadn't cared, just stroked through her hair and told her that she would always be there for her.

When Sammy was eight, her Auntie got married to an agent from Poppa's old work, who was really cool and always let Sammy ride around on his shoulders no matter how much Auntie yelled at him to put her down before any of them got hurt. 

They adopted a girl, just like Poppa and Granny had adopted her Auntie, but Auntie and her family moved to DC then and Sammy didn't see them so often anymore, because they were all working for Shield. She missed her Auntie, and Auntie's husband, and their cool friend and their nice daughter, but her Auntie called every Sunday afternoon and Sammy was always first at the phone, even if she had to push Rita to the ground for it.

\--

Her Auntie got a baby, a chubby little baby boy and she came up to visit with him to show him to Poppa most of all, but Sammy got to spend time with her. Got to question her about all the important things because it was only days before Sammy would start High School.

It was the last time that she saw her Auntie.

She was busy in the first years at school, and with all her martial arts, and her Auntie worked a lot and had to take care of her baby, and her girl, and her husband. They still talked on the phone, and Sammy knew her Auntie would be right there if she ever needed her.

Until she wasn't.

Poppa waited for her one afternoon after school, told her that Granny had gone out to get Rita from school. He had cried and Sammy had been frightened right away, because her Poppa was the strongest man she knew, and Poppa never cried. He sat her down and told her.

Her Auntie had died. 

A car accident, her Auntie and her little boy never had a chance.

That night, Sammy snuck outside upon the porch and she snuggled into her Poppa's arms, and he cried just as much as she did, and they held onto each other. She confessed to him that night that she was thinking about leaving for the Academy after the summer was over, she wanted to make him proud, and even more now, she wanted to make her Auntie proud.

She wanted to be just like her Auntie.

\--

Despite not even being 25, Sammy had been through more jobs and organizations and hell than anyone really should be at that stage in their life. 

On the helicarrier when Loki sent a compromised Hawkeye and his troupe of mercenaries to attack.

In the Triskelion when Shield fell.

On the helicarrier when Sokovia went flying and was destroyed.

She went from Shield Agent to Stark Industry Security Staff to NAI Agent.

She went from total security at the top of the food chain to free falling without a net to catch her to risky new beginnings in a young newly formed sub-terrain player.

She didn't go through it alone of course, she had friends who kept at her side, she had people who she had known from her childhood on who were never too far away, it kept her from breaking apart when everything seemed lost.

Clint Barton, Fury, Zach.

Maria most of all, yeah, without Maria she had no idea where she would have ended up when Shield turned out to be more Hydra than ally. Sammy had learned so much from her, found a guiding hand in her, a good teacher, a strong woman who reminded her so much of the aunt she had lost.

Maria had known her, too, and more than once she had told Sammy that her aunt would be proud of her today if she could see her. As it turned out later, Maria had known that to be true right from the source.

Because Aunt Laura wasn't dead.

\--

It was a couple of days after Clint Barton had returned back to active duty that he showed up at her office, knocking on the half open door. Sammy held up a hand where she had been searching through a stack of files on the ground next to her desk, her office was an entire mess, but with the agency still shouldering more than they had people for, she was doing double shifts. 

“Just a second, I'll be right there, just need to...” She grumbled and tugged on the list she finally found wedged between two mission reports, “Get this one to safety,” she finished with a relieved sigh when she found Captain Rogers' notes undamaged if slightly crinkled on the edges.  
“Take all the time you need, Sammy.” The familiar cheeky voice had her nevertheless snap her head up, muscles complaining loudly as she stared at Clint Barton's polite smile.

She had known of course that he had come back, Maria had made her fill out all the necessary paperwork while she got to do all the fun stuff.  
“Agent Barton!” She called out and hurried to sit down behind her desk again, grabbing the tape to stick the notes right to the screen of her computer. No way in hell it had a chance to get lost again like this, right?

Well, a girl could dream.

“Can I help you with anything, Sir? Any problems with the paperwork?” She wanted to know and then blinked in confusion when something like hurt flashed over Barton's face. Clint didn't even really masked it, just reached up and dragged a hand down his face before gesturing to the chair in front of her desk.  
“Can I sit?” He wanted to know and then moved to do just that when she nodded.

It was weird.

They had been nothing but professional with each other since the day Sammy had officially joined Shield. Just two agents working alongside each other, she hadn't been Sam-Sam in over a decade, and just as long, he hadn't been Uncle Clint. Not even Clint, he had just been Agent Barton aka Hawkeye, ever since the funeral.

Ever since Laura and Cooper had died.

“Listen, I...” and when Clint hesitated, Sammy froze, because this really was not like him, he took a deep breath and visibly braced himself for what he wanted to say next, “I need to talk to you about something, but you need to promise me something first.” And there he looked directly into her eyes, “Let me finish before you get mad.”

“Okay...”

Clint breathed again, once, twice, and then he began to speak and with each word, Sammy's heart started racing more and more, “I lied to you. Sarah, Julie, Tess, Natasha, Maria, we all lied, but it's me who is responsible for this so I get the blame, whatever you will react with, focus it on me. The others only followed my wishes...so...yeah.”  
“Clint, you're scaring me.” Sammy chose to be honest, chose to be personal for once again and Clint grimaced.

And then apparently decided to just get right to the point.

“Laura is alive.”

That shot into her chest like a bullet, brown eyes falling open, mouth gaping while everything stopped, her heart, the world, time itself.

“There has never been an accident, it was all part of the lie, a farce set up to ensure they would vanish from the face of the earth with no questions raised. Laura was pregnant again, Sarah was knee deep in trouble with whatever went on in Russia back then, Natasha had people from her past lurking around again. And I, well, there was some classified shit going on that I'd rather not talk about right now, I just needed to know they would be safe. That if Laura was alone with two little kids then, she would be alright, that she could still move freely and that I wouldn't have to spend my nights away laying awake, going from one worse scenario to the next.”

“Who knew?” and she had no idea why that question mattered, why it mattered in any way, because of course she understood. Of course she saw why they must have made this difficult decision to cut them off from the life that included Shield and all the dangers that came with it.  
“Fury, Coulson, Hill. Sarah, Julie, Natasha, Tess later as well. I'm sorry, Sammy, I wanted to, Laura and I talked about it for so long. Who should know and who shouldn't. And believe me, it wasn't easy.”

“I do believe that.” She mumbled quietly and when she saw the guilt flare up in Clint's eyes, she got up from her chair and walked to the front of her desk, offering her hand to pull Clint to his feet, only to hug him tight once he was standing. And Clint, he hesitated for a moment but then hugged her back.  
“I'm so sorry, Sammy. I just had to protect them, I had to keep them safe...” She interrupted him before he could have gone on with his guilt.

“Clint, it's okay. I understand, I'm so glad that they are safe, all of them. Lila and Nate, right? Maria kept rather silent on new baby details when she asked me if I wanted to add anything to the baby gift pile.” He nodded and she hugged him again, “They're really alive.”  
“Here, let me go for a second.” She did as asked and Clint reached into his jacket, pulled out a couple of pictures and Sammy felt her heart start to race.

Clint handed the pictures over and Sammy felt her breath hitch when she looked down at them, Aunt Laura surrounded by Cooper, a little girl and in her arms a baby boy. Cooper who was so tall. The next picture had her gasp, it was clearly older, there was no baby Nate, Lila looked chubbier, still baby fat on her sweet little face where she had it pressed against a shoulder that Sammy knew so much. Cooper leaning against the woman's other side, all of them grinning. Sarah looked so happy, and Sammy knew she had found a whole new motivation to help Steve with his search.

Find her friends. Find Clint's girls. Find Coop's big sister.

The other pictures were shots of the children, with Nate and without. And then one last of single shot of Laura, smiling brightly into the camera.

“Take them, I've got more.” Clint told her and Sammy curled her fingers even more gently around the small stack of pictures, “Actually, take the day off, tomorrow as well. Drive home, share them.” She snapped up her head at that, staring at him, pressing the pictures to her chest.

“Thank you.”

\--

When she arrived home at her grandparent's estate, she took some minutes to sit in the car and just stare up at the porch, at the big house and the land around it. The picture seemed to pulse against her chest, begging to be taken out again, to be looked at again, begging for her to trace those beautiful faces again.

Distracted as she was by the still ongoing 'oh my god oh my god' in her head, Sammy jumped when someone knocked on the window right next to her head. She turned and caught sight of her grandfather peering down into the car, eyebrows raised, eyes curious and god in heaven did she just want to scream the news in his face.

She didn't of course. He raised her better than that.

Instead she grabbed the overnight bag and opened the car door, stepping out and welcoming the hug her grandfather gave her.  
“Isn't this a surprise?” He chuckled when he let go of her again, grabbing her bag before she could say something against it, “What happened? You got bored with all those superheroes around?” She elbowed him and still let him lead the way up the porch and into the house where he called for her grandmother right away.

“Just here for a weekend, need some time to get my energy back...and I need to talk to you, both of you.” Sammy decided to get out with the real agenda right away, before her grandfather started those poking interrogation tactics again, he must have sensed from the first second that something was up. Sammy was a good agent, she had a good pokerface and very good acting skills, but nothing fooled her grandfather when it came to her.

“Sure.” He smiled, even if the curiosity and slight confusion in his eyes doubled, “Later or now?” He wanted to know and Sammy grimaced a little, “Right, rip it off directly, sit. I'll bring your bag into your room and find your Gran.” He rushed off towards and the stairs and Sammy took off her jacket before moving into the living room and sinking into the comfortable couch. In the pocket of her hoodie the picture seemed to be yelling at her now.

A few minutes later, way too quick for her taste, her grandparents were both sitting in front of her, with curious faces and gentle smiles. Her head went through a mess of possible conversation starters, one worse than the other, so she just went the simple path. She blurted it out.

“Laura is alive.”

The reactions couldn't have been more priceless. 

Her grandmother dropped open her mouth, gaping with wide shocked eyes. Her grandfather was even more interesting, his face broke into a bright grin and he started laughing.

“Clint...he told me this morning...and...oh I don't know, I still can't believe it myself and I think right now I would just mess up that explanation and I have pictures?” 

Needless to say the couch quickly became small and crowded as they both rushed over.

Part II: Their Reunion

A couple of days later, Theodore froze mid line in reading his book out on the porch when the Quinjet suddenly and with booming engines materialized over the house. It's slow descent gave Teresa enough time to come running out of the house, shotgun in her hands, and aimed the moment she stood next to him.

Theodore though blinked at the deep purple jet, so very different from the black and dark blue ones he had seen himself and mostly on the news. No Shield symbol, but an A, an Avengers A on the side, and that just meant absolutely no danger. Footsteps thundered down the stairs inside while the engines were cut off, the jet standing peacefully next to his car in the driveway.

“Get the gun down, Grandma!” Sammy announced herself with a yell, flinging herself out of the front door, “It's Hawkeye's jet.” Teresa blinked at her and then scrambled to get the shutgon down and behind her back, her narrowed eyes slipping into a bright grin again. Theodore rolled his eyes and set his book to the side, getting slowly to his feet just in time to see the ramp lowering itself down at the back of the jet.

The blond man who stepped out and down onto the driveyard, who awkwardly scratched at his neck while he approached them with a sheepish look, Theodore hadn't seen him face to face in years, but Clint Barton, he would have recognized that man everywhere. Especially when that always so serious face turned into a smirk, “If you've got the time, I was send to initiate a reunion.”

There was a short moment of silence, but then Sammy cried out in joy and then dragged Teresa back into the house, both of them chatting quickly, “They're gonna get their things.” He said and Clint grinned up at him.  
“It's good to see you again, Sir.” Clint called out and Theodore laughed, shaking his head he walked down the porch stairs and then over to the man who he had first laid eyes on in a room of the Triskelion's medical wing, hooked up to more machines than he had wanted to count, fighting for his life with every breath.

“I can say the same, son. Especially once you've brought me to that girl of mine.”

\--

On the flight over he fretted while Teresa looked over the pictures again that Clint had given Sammy and Sammy spoke quietly with Clint up front in the cockpit. It had been so long, Lila and the baby wouldn't know him, and of course he didn't expect that, they had never known him, but Cooper had.

Little Coop. Not so little anymore.

Was there even a chance that the kid remembered any of the afternoons they had spent together? All this time, Teresa and him had looked after him while Clint, Laura and the girls had worked?

Theodore sure remembered every single moment, but there was a good chance that almost teenager would look at him now and not see anyone he recognized.

\--

Despite those worries, his heart was still beating strong and quick in his chest when the jet touched down on a meadow, a little off the beautiful white farmhouse, for miles nothing but nature around them. The perfect place to be safe and hidden away, what childhood this must be, so full of freedom.

Theodore was the first to step down from the jet and with his head still trying to take in everything, he didn't really hear the footsteps rush barefoot over grass. As it was, he barely had both feet off the ramp when a weight crashed against his legs and almost took him right off his feet, skinny arms wrapping around his waist, a face with a blinding grin smiling up at him.

He needed a second. One second to really take a look into the boy's wide eyes to see that all his worries had been just that, worries. The truth was something different.

“Hi, Pops!”

And then there was no holding back anymore, he had Cooper up in his arms and was clinging to him just as much as the boy was hugging back. They took a long moment to just hold onto another, but then he had to set him down again and Cooper was quick to reach for his sister, this little girl who looked so much like her mother, those curious round eyes, that beaming smile.

“This is Lila, Pops.”

“Beware, she is a jumper.” Clint's voice called out behind him but Theodore was already prepared when that little cat jumped up into his arms, hugging him tight for a second before drawing back so she could look into his face.

“Cooper has told me everything about you! I like you!”

It wasn't really tears in his eyes, but the choking feeling in his throat, he was familiar with that, especially when he looked up and over the girl's shoulder and caught sight of the woman making her way over with the dog at her side and the baby in her arms. And he couldn't look away, couldn't look away from her smile, from those twinkling eyes, from those pure tears of joy running down her face.

Cooper shrieked for Sammy and dashed off, and he could hear his granddaughter grunt when Cooper must have crashed against her. Clint took the baby once Laura had reached them, and then Teresa was there, crying and hugging their girl, and both of them talking over each other.  
“Momma told us stories about you.” Lila broke through the white noise in his head and he looked down at her, still so comfortable in the arms of a man who should have been a stranger, “Dad makes stories up, or he tells us about work. But Momma always tells us about you when we ask for a story. I think she missed you very much.” He smiled in a response, he couldn't dare speak, too afraid to let the tears take control.

He had never believed them to truly be dead, his heart had always known. But he had never thought he would see them again.

Teresa and Laura broke apart, Cooper called for Lila, and suddenly, from one moment to the next his arms were empty, and Laura was standing right in front of him. Right there.

“I missed you so much, Dad.”

“I did, too, my angel.” He choked out and Laura smiled, and then, finally, after eight years of being so convinced that he would never get the chance for this again, he had his little girl back in his arms.

Part III: The News

“I always knew something wasn't right, you know?” Theodore wasn't surprised when Clint showed absolutely no sign that he hadn't heard him coming a mile away, he just remained leaning against the side of the barn, staring up into the stars, “It wasn't you, or Romanov. I would have even bought the truth of the story from Viktora and Seaway, but Nick? No, I could see right through that facade.”

“So why did you never ask?” Clint spoke up after a short moment where Theodore came to stand next to him.  
“Because it wasn't my place. I know how it feels, to constantly worry about the safety of the people left behind, how it feels to be caught somewhere miles off the safety net, thinking about the people at home who don't know what kind of danger they're in right now.” He explained and then smiled when blue eyes settled on him, that man who had once been an unruly 20-something rascal, turning Nick's hair grayer with every single day, “You chose the safety of your family over everything, Clint, I could never be angry with that.”

“How did you do it? Keep moving on in the unknown, keep hoping without knowing if there was even the slightest reason to have hope in the first place?” Clint choked out, fists clenched at his side, closing his eyes for a moment. It was easy to see what was bothering him, he had been silent the whole afternoon and evening, smiling when he had felt eyes on himself, but everyone with even a little experience had been able to see that he didn't feel the joy that all others shared.

And Theodore knew what he was missing.

He set a hand on Clint's shoulder and turned the younger man to face him.

"I waited over eight years for something I never thought could happen, but now I got parts of my family back that I thought lost forever. You will get this moment, too. We'll find the girls, and if we have to turn the world inside out, then we will. You will not have to wait eight years for this day. I promise you." 

\--

And as so many times before already, Theodore Radcliff would be right, because a couple of months later, Sammy found herself helping with getting the Avengers suited up. Nerves were raw and blank, Clint and Tony especially were frazzled, Steve was lost to his Captain headspace. So she helped distributing the right weapons to the right people, kept Clint from walking into a door more than just once.

It was her who dared to take the cleaned black rifle from where it had been resting in the highest shelf in the armory, holding it out for Clint to take after he had just stared at it for minutes. In the background Tony and Steve were yelling over each other and Maria was calling out information as well. 

In front of her Clint blinked, “You touched it. You're holding it.”

“Yes.” Sammy agreed, pressing the rifle into Clint's hands, making sure he had it before she let go, deadpanning at him, she continued, “And if Sarah wants to go ahead and kill me for touching her sacred baby, I'm taking my chances. Because for that she would actually have to be here. Now go, and bring them home.” Clint nodded and turned around, still caught in trance, almost running headlong into the knife Sam was strapping to his hip, but Pietro materialized just in time and nudged him out of the danger zone.

“Keep an eye on him, please.” Sammy told him and Pietro nodded with a tight smile, grabbing that mysterious dufflebag Clint had stuffed full of weapons earlier and with one hand heavy on Clint's shoulder he led them out of the room. Sammy shuffled over to the corner where Tony and Steve were either strangling each other or talking each other out of panic attacks, in passing by she clicked an open panel on Rhodey's suit shut and caught the bandage role that dared to escape Bruce's hands.

“Hey, either cut it out or get it together.” She snarled and they sprang apart like embarrassed school girls, both ducking their heads down, clearly anxious, though Stark masked it way better than Steve did. Steve dragged a hand over his face, then mumbled an apology and reached out take up his shield. “Get the girls home, guys.”

“Aye, Ma'am.” They chorused and she chased them out of the armory with slaps to the back of their heads. The Quinjet's engines were already roaring and most people were already on it, but Sammy held Steve back when he made to follow Tony in.  
“Keep your head on straight, okay? Clint, Natasha and Tony will be distracted, but if you feel like you can't, let Sam or Rhodey take over, it's no shame to be hit too personally in this, Steve.” She told him and then waited until he nodded, it took a moment, “It's gonna be okay.”

“I know.”

She was about to say something more when Clint stumbled out of the jet again, crashing into Steve with a cut off yelp.

“Laura!” He then turned to Sammy and fucking yelled right in her face, “Laura, I forgot to call Laura, someone needs to call Laura. She needs to know, and she needs to know this from family. Sammy, Laura. Laura, I...”

“Hey!” Sammy waved a hand in front of his face until he stopped babbling and god in heaven someone needed to give him a valium before setting him loose in Canada, “I'll do it, okay? I'll see you guys off and then I'm taking a jet and fly right to the farm and tell her, and then stay with her until you got them home safe. How does that sound?” Clint flung himself forward to hug her and then raced right back onto the jet.

Sammy and Steve stared after him for a moment.

“Word of advice? Ask Bucky to not let Clint out of his sight for even a second.”

“Got it.” Steve told her, saluted and then jogged off, last one onto the jet.

\--

Her knees were shaking when she walked up the porch, Lila and Cooper were still at school and if her information were correct, they would be for at least another hour. Nate would be down for a nap, no better timing on her side could have been possible. Pushing open the door, she knocked on the door frame, “Laura?”

“In the kitchen,” came the answer and Sammy took a deep breathe before walking the short distance, the living room was half buried in crafting paper and glitter pens, it looked like someone had been late on a school project. Laura stopped setting dried plates back into the cupboard and turned to face her when Sammy stopped by the table.

One short look and of course Laura knew.

“What happened?” She wanted to know, one hand being placed on her heart, the other one reaching behind herself to grab the edge of the counter. And for the first time in hours, ever since she had picked up that incoming decrypted call and Barnes' voice had spoken those magical words, Sammy felt the agent drain out of her muscles and the friend, the girl, take its place.

“Bucky...”

And Sammy didn't even get any further before Laura gasped and slapped a hand in front of her mouth for a second, but then she lunged for Sammy, hands shaking until Sammy wrapped both of hers around them.

“Bucky found the girls, Laura. He found them, way up north in Canada. The team has gone to bring them home.”

“My girls are coming home.” Laura whispered and then laughed and cried and buried her face in Sammy's neck and they held onto each other. Sammy closed her eyes and finally grinned herself.

Her friends were coming home.

 

The End


	7. Captain America Meets The Boys in Blazers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shortie, but hopefully still nice.

“So what are we watching tonight?” Steve asked as he sat on the couch beside Sammy, wrapping his arm around her shoulders right away.

It was their sleepover night, every week Steve would sleep over at Sammy’s and they would just spend the night in their pyjamas as Sammy showed Steve TV Shows and movies he was missing, that was until Sammy got bored and took the night in a whole different direction.

Sammy grinned and reached for the bowl with the popcorn, she always did the same, a mix between salty and sweet popcorn with M&M’s thrown in as well. They both worked out like hell every day so a sugar bomb like that once in a while shouldn’t be too bad.

“Today, my darling, I am teaching you about one of America’s wonders. Something would have made you unfreeze by yourself if you had known about it earlier.” She said with a grin.

Steve chuckled a bit at that. “I thought that was the description for Disney’s heart-warming classics.” He said as he stole a hand full of popcorn and M&M’s.

“No, today I am showing you something even better...” Sammy grinned wider as she reached for the remote.

“Which is?” Steve raised an eyebrow.

Sammy turned to him pulling her legs under her so she could be fully turned to Steve to rest her hands on his shoulders. “Boys in blazers singing classy sounding songs about sex and dancing... With lots of hip thrusts.” She said and nodded her head, the grin on her face so wide it was almost creepy.

“...What?” Steve frowned.

Sammy sighed a bit. “Also known as Glee. The story is long and it doesn’t matter we’re jumping right into the goodies.” Sammy said and turned on the TV where the Glee DVD was already set up and ready to go. She decided to show Steve all the episodes with the Warblers.

And of course that showing the episodes included Sammy getting up and singing and dancing along with her favourite boys in blazers as they sang their songs, much for Steve’s amusement. Then she would sit and comment on every detail she liked.

“Those two! See the hug? They’re dating. Married.” Sammy nodded, getting some popcorn.

“They just hugged, how do you know that?” Steve asked, very much amused.

“I know stuff. I’m a level 7.” Sammy said with a huff that even without her adding it said “Obviously.”

Steve chuckled but didn’t press on the matter. A few episodes later and with the bowl pretty much empty Steve spoke again and that time it wasn’t to ask about the plot. “Oh look is the married guy from before.”

“You’re learning already, I’m proud of you. That my friend is Nick Duval. A hell of a man.” Sammy said sighing dreamily at the end leaning against Captain America. Because that’s what every girl does, they daydream about boys in blazers when they are dating drop dead gorgeous Steve Rogers.

“Is he your type or something?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Isn’t he everyone’s type? Think about that... And isn’t that funny, that guy over there,” She pointed at one of the boys. “Really looks like Tess’ Sebastian.”

“He does.” Steve agreed a bit intrigued but then shook his head. “But wait, are you telling me that your type is a guy with dark eyes?”

“Yup.”

“And dark hair?”

“Yup.” Sammy answered absent minded as she ate popcorn, at that point Steve could give her screws to eat and she wouldn’t tell the difference. It was Uptown Girl, it wasn’t her fault.

“You know that I’m blond right?” Steve asked.

Sammy blinked and looked up at him. “Of course I do.”

“And that I have blue eyes.”

“That’s impossible to forget.” Sammy said.

“Good to know I am not even your type.” Steve huffed.

“Who said that?” Sammy frowned.

“You! Just now!”

Sammy looked at him weird and took the bowl from him. “Alright, mister, enough sugar for you tonight.”

“You literally just said it.”

“Sure thing, darling.” Sammy nodded and patted his chest before turning to the TV again, stuffing popcorn in her mouth.

Steve gaped between the TV and Sammy. “You know what,” He said getting up.

“No, where are you going!” Sammy pouted as she stopped having her boyfriend to lean on.

“I’ll be right back.” Steve said and disappeared.

Sammy just shrugged and turned to the TV again.

Not even five minutes later Steve appeared out of nowhere blocking Sammy’s view to the TV where her boys in blazers were singing “I Want You Back.”

“Hey not cool!” She complained but then she noticed Steve, really noticed. And he was in a shirt and a blazer and she just stared at him before a smirk grew on her face. “Well, well... If it isn’t my favourite boy in a blazer.”

“Oh so now I am the favourite?” Steve asked but a smile was already on his lips.

Sammy chuckled and got up, walking towards him to give him a kiss. “Always. Come on.” She grinned and grabbed his hand to pull him to her room.

 


End file.
